Driving device for linking machines



Sept. 17, 1963 A. PELOGGIO 3,103,902

DRIVING DEVICE FOR LINKING MACHINES Filed Aug. 25, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet l IN VE N T012 B M Mrf JM/L ATTORNEY Sept. 17, 1963 A- PELOGGIO Filed Aug. 23, 1960 IIIIIIIIVN 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR /4(///Z Pf/U/O By ZW f i ATTORNEY Sept. 17, 1963 A. PELOGGIO DRIVING DEVICE FOR LINKING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 23, 1960 A TTUANEV United States Patent 3,103,902 DRIVENG DEVICE FUR LHNKING MACHIPJES Achille Peloggio, Brignano dAdda, Italy Filed Aug. 23, 1960, Ser. No. 51,379 Claims priority, application Italy Aug. 28, 1359 Gaines. (Cl. 11225) As is well known, linking machines are provided with a rotating ring or crown which supports, along its periphery, a plurality of pins which cooperate with a movable needle for the stitching of the material.

To achieve a good operation of such linking machine and to guarantee a considerable safety for the operators it is therefore essential that the yarn does not interfere with the manufactured article and that the operative parts are shielded.

During the use of such machines it is also necessary to stop said crown or ring and to have the movable needle in spaced position with respect to the pins or needles of the rotating crown.

At present, upon having stopped the crown, the operator must manually operate the machine until the needle is positioned outwardly of the crowns pins. This operation requires a certain waste of time and sometimes pretty serious accidents might occur because of the inattentiveness of the operator.

In fact it might happen that the operator turns the pinor needle-holding crown while the needle is still positioned between the pins thus causing the needle to break.

An object of the present invention is to eliminate any loss of time as well as any possibility of needle breakage by providing a device which stops the crown when the needle is outside of the pin holding region thereof.

The improved linking machine with rotating pin-holding crown according to the invention is characterized by a feeding system for the thread disposed below the pinholding crown so that the thread does not interfere with the manufactured article, by shielding means for the working zone adapted to permit the immediate inspection of operating parts (needle and crochet-needle) and by an automatic device for the operation of the pin-holding crown and of the needle suited to stop the needle when it is in a non-interfering position with respect to said crown, when the latter is stopped.

The present invention also provides a device for transmitting the movement from the driving shaft to a further shaft controlling the movement of the crown as well as of the needle: said device is of such a nature that by stopping the crown the needle is automatically blocked in the desired spaced position from the pins of the crown.

The accompanying drawing relates to a preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention. In particular:

FIG. 1 shows an elevation and partially sectioned View of the device in engaged position;

FIG. 2 shows a similar view of the device in disengaged position;

FIG. 3 shows another elevational view on the device taken from a side different from the preceding ones;

FIG. 4 shows the same side View as FIG. 3 wherein some portions have been removed;

FIG. 5 shows a plan view of the device;

FIGS. 6 and 7 respectively show an elevation and a plan view of a linking machine according to the invention.

FIG. 1 shows a driving shaft 9 and a driven shaft 10 which, in its turn, sets into rotation the pin-holding crown 51 (FIG. 6) as well as the movable needle 52 (FIG. 6). The device of FIG. 1 shows the means by which the rotation of shaft 9 is transmitted to shaft 10, the stopping mechanism for shaft 10 being shown in inoperative position.

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The device comprises a disc 12 fixed to the drive shaft 9, said disc 12 being provided with an inclined surface 14 and a striker surface 13 defining a recess 14. A body element 11, provided at opposite sides with two guide slots 16, is fixed to the driven shaft 10' (FIGS. 1, 2 and 5). Said shaft 10 carries a member 4 comprising two projections 5; the member 4 may slide axially with respect to the shaft 10 but cannot rotate with respect to the same because the two projections 5 engage the two .guide slots 16.

The member 4 carries, pivoted thereto, an element provided with a tooth 6 (FIGS. 1 and 2) capable of pivoting (see FIG. 3) between two pieces 35 which are fixed to the member 4; the inner middle part of said member 4 is adapted to receive a spring 15 urging, with the aid of the pin 8, the tooth 6 out of the slot defined by the two pieces -35.

The member 4 also carries fixed thereto a small block 4' supporting the tooth 7.

A vertical stationary plate 17 supports fixed thereto two bracket-like projecting pieces 24 and 25', two racks 18 and 20 respectively supporting two push buttons 19 and 21 being adapted each to slide along one of said bracketlike pieces 24 and 25. Two thin plates 26, disposed one at each side and suited to act as guide for the rack 20, are fixed to the piece 25; similar thin plates which are not shown in the drawing are fixed to the piece 24 and act as a guide for the rack 18. The two racks 18 and 20 rotate the gear 22 which is pivotally mounted on a pair of supports 32 fixed to the plate 17. v

The same shaft of the gear 22 supports, freely pivoted thereon, a fork-like element 2 carrying a plate 1; the base of the fork element 2 is provided with a small recess 34.

Said recess 34 is adapted to register with a nod 33 protruding from the gear 22. Two springs 23 disposed at opposite sides with respect to the plane of the gear 22 are each fixed at one end to the rod 33 and at the other end to the pin 37 fixed to the plate 17; each of said springs 23 pulls the attached rod 33 toward the pin 37 so as to turn the gear 22 in one direction or in the other according to the difierent positions of said rod 33 with regard to the axis of rotation of said gear.

The hollow body of the rack 18 is adapted to receive therein a piece 29, extending from the end of the body of said rack and carrying at its end a plate 36 mounted so as to provide a transversely inclined upper surface, said plate being provided at its upper end with an elastic lamina 3, and said piece 29 being adapted to slide Within the hollow body [of the rack 18 against the action of spring 28. A screw 40 fixed to said piece 29 may slide within an :opening 41 of the rack body 18 thus limiting the displacements of the piece 29.

The fore part of the piece 29 is also provided with a cylindrical surface section 30.

In the position of the device shown in FIG. 1 the member 4 is in lowered position so that the tooth 6 penetrates into the cavity defined by the inclined plane 14 and by the wall 13 of the [disc 12.

Although they are in their lower positions the two projections 5 (FIG. 5) are still contained within the guides 16 of the body 11. In such conditions, by rotating the drive shaft 9 in the direction of the arrow shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 the engagement of the vertical wall 13 of the disc 12 with the tooth 6 is assured to thereby rotate the member 4 and therefore the shaft 10.

It should be noted in FIG. 1 that the fork 2 cannot be lifted because the plate 1 pushes against the rack body 20: in such a position the fork 2 prevents possible further displacements of the member 4 which stays in constant engagement with the disc 12.

FIG. 1 also shows the outermost position of the rack 3 18 and therefore of the inclined surface of plate 36 with respect to the rotating member 4.

By pressing on the push knob 19 the operator displaces the rack 18 bringing it into the position shown in FIG. 2. During this displacement the rack 18 rotates the gear 22 (in the counterclockwise sense according to FIG. 1), this rotation causing the rack 20 to be displaced to the position shown in FIG. 2.

Said positions are reached through a rapid snap-motion once the springs 23 have passed over their dead point.

In the position of FIG. 2 the fork 2 no longer hinders the displacement of the member 4 upwards and when this member 4 is rotated the tooth 7 fixed thereto comm into register with the lower end of the inclined surface of plate 36. From this moment on, the tooth 7 slides along the inclined surface of plate 36 and comes up to the lamina 3. Consequently the member 4 fixed to the tooth 7 is displaced upwards disengaging from the disc 12.

The member 4, therefore, always stops in the very same position wherein the tooth 7 rests on lamina 3 which yields somewhat elastically.

The arrow of FIG. 2 indicates the direction of rotation of the driving shaft 9 while the shaft 10, now disengaged from the shaft 9, remains stationary, always in the very same position defined by the tooth 7. When the shaft 10 is in this position the movable needle of the machine is stationary and disposed outside of the pin supporting crown.

When the rack 18 is being displaced in the position of FIG. 2 it could happen that the tooth 7 is so disposed that the cylindrical surface 30 of the piece 29 presses against said tooth.

In this case the piece 29 is temporarily stopped by contact with the surface of the tooth 7 which keeps on rotating while the rack 18 will nevertheless reach the end of its stroke by compressing the spring 28. When the tooth 7 has rotated beyond said surface 30, the piece 29 urged by the spring 28 comes forward into the position shown in FIG. 2 and therefore, upon having made a new revolution, the tooth 7 will reach the lower end of the inclined surface 36 and hence come up onto the lamina 3.

When it is desired to again connect the shaft 10 to the drive shaft 9 it will suffice to press on the push button 21 whereafter the gear 22 driven by the rack 20 rotates in the clockwise direction (opposite to the preceding one) and once it has overcome its dead point will reach, by snapping through it, the position shown in FIG. 1. During such a displacement the rack 18 moves together with the lamina 3 so that the member 4 is released.

If during this lowering the tooth 6 should not come directly into the recess 14' but on the contrary should only reach the upper surface of the disc 12, the member 4 would nevertheless come down as the result of the action of the spring and of the rotation of the disc 12 because at a certain point the tooth 6 urged by the spring 15 slides on the inclined plane 14 and penetrates in said recess 14 thus effecting the engagement.

In order that the operator may operate the machine while remaining seated, the bobbins 53 feeding the thread are mounted below the plane comprising the pin-holding crown 51 as shown in FIG. 6. The inconveniences due to the presence of the bobbins above the plane of the pin-holding crowns are thus eliminated, the said presence being prejudicial because of the fact that the threads coming to the sewing tools hinder the free passage of the manufactured article.

As represented in FIG. 6 a bobbin 53 is supported by a holder 54 fixed to the frame 55 of the machine; the thread 56 starting from said bobbin comes with its upper end to the members effecting the working.

To protect the operating elements of the machine as for instance the needle and the crochet-needle cooperating therewith from the external agents as well as to protect the operator attending to the machine from said 4 operating members, shields (not shown in the drawing) are provided in the working zone.

The reader should be reminded that as shown in FIG. 7 the needle 52 cooperates with the crochet-needle 63 driven by members supported by an arm 64. The members comprising the needle and the ones comprising the crochet-needle are protected according to the invention by a cover 65 and by a cap 66.

The cover 65 is fixed by means of the elements 67 and comprises a portion 68 higher with regard to the plane of the cover so as to permit the displacement of the needle; said portion 68 may be turned over about hinge 69.

The cap 66 is also hinged in 70 to its supporting arm 64.

The members comprising the movable needle and the crochet-needle are readily and rapidly accessible for maintenance purposes by simply opening the portion 68 and the cap 66.

Thanks to the presence of the cover 65 and of the cap 66 the operating members are perfectly shielded from every external agent and the operator may also work under completely safe conditions without any danger of getting hurt.

What I claim is:

1. In a linking machine of the type having a rotating, pin-holding crown and a needle adapted to move in and out of the spaces between the pins of said crown as the crown is rotated, said crown and needle being operated by a rotatable driven shaft adapted to be connected to a rotating driving-shaft of a power source, the improved means for connecting the rotatable driven shaft to the rotating driving shaft comprising slidable means on the driven shaft adapted to move axially towards and away from the driving shaft,

said slidable means being keyed to said driven shaft,

a first means on said slidable means adapted to connect with said driving shaft when said slidable means is in a position close to said driving shaft to thereby drive the driven shaft at the same speed as the driving shaft,

means to move the slidable means axially away from the driving means comprising a plate provided with an outer edge substantially complementing the cylindrical surface of a rotating part of said slidable means,

said plate being inclined away from the driving shaft in the direction of rotation of the latter,

said plate being mounted for movement from an outer to an inner position with respect to the slidable means in a radial direction with respect to the latter,

contact means in the slidable-means of said driven shaft adapted to contact the inclined surface of said plate when the latter is in its inner position and carry the slidable means axially away from the driving shaft to disconnect the latter from the driven shaft,

said contact means being So positioned with respect to said slidable means that when the contact means reaches the upper portion of said inclined surface the needle of said linking means is always in spaced position with respect to t h e pin holding crown.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1 comprising tooth means adjacent the periphery of said slidable means for making contact with said driving shaft,

said tooth means heing mounted to move substantially parallel to the axis of said slidable means,

a spring means normally urging said tooth means in the direction of said driving shaft but being deformable to permit said tooth means to move away from said driving shaft to prevent said tooth means from interfering with the action of said contact means.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1 comprising push button means for moving said plate to its inner position,

said push button means comprising rack means,

gear means associated with said rack,

a second push button means positioned on the opposite side of said gear means from the first push button means,

a rack on said second push button means whereby pushing said first push button means inwardly operates said gear means to move said second push button means outwardly and vice-versa.

4. The device as claimed in claim 3 comprising tooth means adjacent the periphery of said slidable means for making contact with said driving shaft,

fork means adapted to contact a radial surface of said slidable means back of said tooth means,

and means on said second push button means adapted to hold said fork means adjacent'said radial surface when the secondpush button is in its inner posi- 15 2,862,464

tion whereby accidental displacement of said slidable means is prevented.

5. The device as claimed in claim 3 comprising spring means connected to said gear so as to have an unstable dea-d point when the two rack means are at an intermediate point with respect to said 'gear whereby said push button snap into their inner and outer positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,549,369 McCauley et al Aug. 11, 1925 1,952,387 Ross et a1 Mar. 27, 1934 2,276,815 Auman Mar. 17, 1942 Darandik Dec. 2, 1958 

1. IN A LINKING MACHINE OF THE TYPE HAVING A ROTATING, PIN-HOLDING CROWN AND A NEEDLE ADAPTED TO MOVE IN AND OUT OF THE SPACES BETWEEN THE PINS OF SAID CROWN AS THE CROWN IS ROTATED, SAID CROWN AND NEEDLE BEING OPERATED BY A ROTATABLE DRIVEN SHAFT ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO A ROTATING DRIVING-SHAFT OF A POWER SOURCE, THE IMPROVED MEANS FOR CONNECTING THE ROTATABLE DRIVEN SHAFT TO THE ROTATING DRIVING SHAFT COMPRISING SLIDABLE MEANS ON THE DRIVEN SHAFT ADAPTED TO MOVE AXIALLY TOWARDS AND AWAY FROM THE DRIVING SHAFT, SAID SLIDABLE MEANS BEING KEYED TO SAID DRIVEN SHAFT, A FIRST MEANS ON SAID SLIDABLE MEANS ADAPTED TO CONNECT WITH SAID DRIVING SHAFT WHEN SAID SLIDABLE MEANS IS IN A POSITION CLOSE TO SAID DRIVING SHAFT TO THEREBY DRIVE THE DRIVEN SHAFT AT THE SAME SPEED AS THE DRIVING SHAFT, MEANS TO MOVE THE SLIDABLE MEANS AXIALLY AWAY FROM THE DRIVING MEANS COMPRISING A PLATE PROVIDED WITH AN OUTER EDGE SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLEMENTING THE CYLINDRICAL SURFACE OF A ROTATING PART OF SAID SLIDABLE MEANS, SAID PLATE BEING INCLINED AWAY FROM THE DRIVING SHAFT IN THE DIRECTION OF ROTATION OF THE LATTER, SAID PLATE BEING MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT FROM AN OUTER TO AN INNER POSITION WITH RESPECT TO THE SLIDABLE MEANS IN A RADIAL DIRECTION WITH RESPECT TO THE LATTER, CONTACT MEANS IN THE SLIDABLE-MEANS OF SAID DRIVEN SHAFT ADAPTED TO CONTACT THE INCLINED SURFACE OF SAID PLATE WHEN THE LATTER IS IN ITS INNER POSITION AND CARRY THE SLIDABLE MEANS AXIALLY AWAY FROM THE DRIVING SHAFT TO DISCONNECT THE LATTER FROM THE DRIVEN SHAFT, SAID CONTACT MEANS BEING SO POSITIONED WITH RESPECT TO SAID SLIDABLE MEANS THAT WHEN THE CONTACT MEANS REACHES THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID INCLINED SURFACE THE NEEDLE OF SAID LINKING MEANS IS ALWAYS IN SPACED POSITION WITH RESPECT TO THE PIN HOLDING CROWN. 